Intent

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, we provide an enjoyable, engaging and equitable mathematics curriculum that progressively develops deep conceptual understanding, fluency, reasoning and problem solving.
Through our teaching for mastery approach, we aim to develop confident and enthusiastic mathematicians who can apply their knowledge in a range of contexts to problem solve and, using precise mathematical vocabulary, reason effectively in an interactive and collaborative environment.

 

At St Teresa’s, we have high expectations for every child. Through a teaching-for-mastery approach, all pupils are supported to develop a deep and secure understanding of mathematical concepts. Learning is built on strong foundations, enabling pupils to make connections, reason clearly and apply their knowledge confidently.

We follow the NCETM Prioritisation Materials across the school to ensure coherent, small-step progression. Teachers also draw on high-quality resources including Oak National Academy, White Rose, and other carefully selected materials to support planning and lesson design.

From Early Years through to Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, pupils engage in Mastering Number, which develops strong number sense, fluency and confidence with key number facts.

Our Mastery Approach

• Pupils spend longer on key concepts, particularly in number, to secure deep understanding.

• Lessons use the concrete–pictorial–abstract (CPA) approach so concepts are explored visually and practically before moving to formal methods.

• Carefully varied examples and intelligent practice build fluency and strengthen conceptual understanding.

• Problem solving and reasoning are embedded throughout, with pupils encouraged to use precise mathematical vocabulary and full-sentence explanations.

• Most pupils progress through the curriculum at the same pace. Support or challenge is provided through depth, not acceleration to new content.

Adaptive Teaching

Adaptive teaching ensures all learners can access the same core learning. Teachers use:

• Representations and examples that highlight key structures and concepts

• Scaffolds or manipulatives for pupils who need more time to secure understanding

• Rich, complex tasks that deepen thinking for pupils who grasp concepts quickly

Ongoing assessment enables teachers to provide timely, targeted intervention to prevent gaps from forming and to ensure all pupils keep up.

Assessment and Tracking

At the end of a teaching sequence, pupils are assessed through tasks that require them to recall, apply and reason with the mathematics they have learned. These assessments inform teacher planning, pupil progress discussions and judgements against Age-Related Expectations.